McElhinney top goalie for October

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Curtis McElhinney of the Springfield Falcons has been selected as the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October.

In six appearances during the month, McElhinney went 5-1-0 with a 1.51 goals-against average, a .949 save percentage and two shutouts, helping the Falcons to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

McElhinney made his Falcons debut on Oct. 13 and stopped 23 shots in a 4-2 win over St. John’s, then made 31 saves to shut out Adirondack, 4-0, on Oct. 14. Behind McElhinney’s 29-save effort on Oct. 19 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield began a season with three straight wins for the first time in club history, and the netminder avenged an earlier loss to Providence by stopping all 33 Bruins shots in a 3-0 victory on Oct. 26. McElhinney finished off the month with 26 saves in a 3-2 win over Portland on Oct. 28.

Allowing two goals or fewer in five of his six starts, McElhinney stopped 169 of 178 shots in October.

Now in his eighth professional season, McElhinney was acquired by Columbus from Phoenix on Feb. 22, 2012. He has a record of 79-63-5 with 15 shutouts in 162 career AHL games, and he was a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2006-07. The native of London, Ont., has appeared in 69 NHL games with Calgary, Anaheim, Ottawa and Phoenix.

In recognition of his achievement, McElhinney will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Falcons home game.